Readability of small text on labels

Readability of text on (small) labels – here’s what to look out for:

Whatever packaging you have, it needs a label. The label serves to let you know the contents of the package; but it should also make your product stand out and inform you about the ingredients, application and so on. Especially with small jars and bottles and packages, it can be a challenge to give all this information a place on the label. A classic mistake then is to reduce the size of texts, logos and barcodes. Unfortunately, before you know it, this defeats the purpose and the text is no longer legible and barcodes can no longer be scanned. We explain what to consider with small labels and provide tips for ideal readability:

1. Format – Please maintain a minimum label size of 20×20 mm. Smaller formats are also possible on request, but only after prior checking, please contact our customer service department for this. A possible consequence of printing smaller roll labels is that the material surrounding the label cannot be removed, making it impossible to apply the labels by machine.
2. Font size – We recommend a font size of at least 7pt or 1.2 mm (measured by the size of the small “x”) for small labels. Note: We cannot guarantee perfect legibility for small size text, (especially on textured paper), as legibility depends on several factors such as font, contrast and label material.
3. Contrast – Use high contrast with the background. Fonts in grey or white can quickly appear blurred. Recommended: choose a dark font on a light background. If the font is light-colored (and too small) on a dark background, the printed background may overflow, making the text blurry.
4. Hot Foil Stamping – For hot foil stamping, we maintain a line thickness of at least 0.2 mm. Hot foil stamping should be used sparingly on small labels because there is a risk of it being too fine and becoming illegible.
5. Our tip – Test your label design by printing it on a home or office printer. This way you can check that all elements and fonts are legible. While doing so, make sure the size of your design is set to 100%! Also read our delivery instructions.